Acquiring and Managing Global
Power
New American Diplomacy
Chapter 7 Section 3
Pages 276-283
Learning Objectives… What You Need
to Know…
• Terms: Big Stick Policy, Roosevelt Corollary,
Dollar Diplomacy, Moral Diplomacy, Panama
Canal, spheres of influence, Open Door Policy
• Analyze key perspectives on US Foreign Policy
between 1890-1917
• Question: Were US interventions abroad
between 1890 and 1917 motivated more by
realism or idealism?
Realism and Idealism…
• Realism – based on the belief that relations
with other countries should be guided by
national self – interest.
– Foreign policy should pursue practical objectives
that benefit the American People
• Idealism- based on the belief that values and
ideals should influence how countries relate
to one another
– Foreign policy is used to promote America’s
founding ideals – democracy, liberty and rights
Introduction
• May 1, 1901 Pan-American Exposition opened
in Buffalo, NY
• Designed to highlight achievements of the
nations of Western Hemisphere
• 3 years after Spanish-American war the US
wanted to showcase themselves as a world
power
• A large Triumphal Bridge served as the
entrance to the fair as a symbol of America
Triumph
Introduction
• Showcased developments going into the 20th
century
– Agriculture
– Transportation
– Industry
• Electric Tower – 400 feet high, built to
celebrate electricity
• Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show – reminded
spectators of the vanishing “western frontier”
Introduction
• Latin American countries are not well
represented
• Expo was designed to promote cooperation
and goodwill between the US and other
nations
• Sept 5, 1901 McKinley gives a speech
• Next day he is shot and dies a week later
• VP T. Roosevelt assumes office
Three Presidents, Three Foreign Policies
• President McKinley set the stage for
aggressive Foreign Policy
• Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson pursued their own
policies
• Foreign policies differed but each president
expanded our interests
– Some were realist and some were idealist
• National Interest – set of goals that a nation
considers important (political, economic,
military and cultural)
Roosevelt Expands US Overseas
• Roosevelt wanted to make US a great power
that could expert influence around the world
• “I have always been fond of the West African
Proverb: ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick;
you will go far’”.
• Big Stick Policy – working quietly and patiently
to achieve overseas goals but use force if
necessary
Roosevelt Expands US Overseas
• 1904 – Speech to Congress and introduced
this policy
• Monroe Doctrine was just to keep Europe out
of the US
– Many countries in our hemisphere were still too
weak to defend themselves
• “International police power” – preserve peace
and order in the hemisphere and protect
American interests
Roosevelt Expands US Overseas
• Police Power – would protect weak nations and was
a direct extension of the Monroe Doctrine
• Roosevelt Corollary – logical extension of a principle
(in this case, the Monroe Doctrine)
• US intervened repeatedly in Latin America and the
Caribbean
– Sent troops to suppress unrest and prop up rulers who
supported the US
– Claimed this was necessary to promote stability in this
region but many critics saw this as an exercise of imperial
power
Roosevelt Expands US Overseas
• 1905- diplomacy – mediated a conflict
between Japan and Russia
• Nobel Peace Prize = 1906 for his efforts in
ending that war
• The Treaty Roosevelt negotiated left Japan
and Russia unhappy with the US
• Around each spoke diagram, add at least three
key pieces of info about this foreign policy…
Roosevelt
Big Stick
Policy
• Around each spoke diagram, add at least three
key pieces of info about this foreign policy…
Believed the US
should be a
great power
and exert
influence over
the world; he
would use
force, if
necessary, to
achieve this
Roosevelt
Big Stick
Policy
He issued the Roosevelt Corollary, which he
said the US must act as an “international
police power” to preserve peace and order
and protect American interests in the
Western Hemisphere
As a result, the US
intervened
repeatedly in Latin
America and the
Caribbean to
promote stability in
the region
Taft Advanced US Economic Interests
• 1909 Taft becomes president
• Continues main thrust of Roosevelt’s foreign
policy
• Dollar Diplomacy – encourage and protect
American trade and investment in Latin
America and Asia
• Believed a strong economic presence abroad
would advance American interests
Taft Advanced US Economic Interests
• This would limit the use of force overseas
• US still continued to intervene militarily
• Nicaragua – supported a revolt that brought pro- US
leader into power in 1911
• American banks then provided loans in the new
government
• The new government was corrupt and unpopular,
new revolt broke out in 1912
• Taft sent troops to put it down and protect
American business interests
• Troops stayed in 1933
• Around each spoke diagram, add at least three
key pieces of info about this foreign policy…
William
Howard TaftDollar
Diplomacy
• Around each spoke diagram, add at least three
key pieces of info about this foreign policy…
He developed
a policy based
on economic
goals
He encouraged
American trade
and investments in
Latin America and
Asia
William
Howard TaftDollar
Diplomacy
He claimed this
would limit the use
of force overseas,
but when
problems arose the
US used force to
protect its interests
Wilson Champions Democracy Around
the Globe
• Moral Diplomacy – Wilson’s moral approach to
foreign policy
• Based on democratic ideals rather than on
economic investments or the use of force
• US should use its power to aid “the development
of constitutional liberty in the world”.
• Wilson based foreign policy on “human rights,
national integrity, and opportunity”
Wilson Champions Democracy Around
the Globe
• Self-Determination – concept that means the
right of other peoples to determine their own
government, free of outside influence
• Latin America – “We must prove ourselves their
friends and champion upon terms of equality,
and honor… whether its squares with our own
interests or not”
Wilson Champions Democracy Around
the Globe
• Principles tested
• 1915 revolt in Haiti prompted Wilson to send
marines to protect American lives and
investments
• 1934 – US withdrew the troops in Haiti
• 1916 Wilson sent troops to Dominican Republic
– stayed for 12 years
• Wilson intervened more than either Taft or
Roosevelt
• Around each spoke diagram, add at least three
key pieces of info about this foreign policy…
Woodrow
Wilson
Moral
Diplomacy
• Around each spoke diagram, add at least three
key pieces of info about this foreign policy…
He based his
foreign policy on
democratic ideals
rather than
economic
investments or the
use of force
Woodrow
Wilson
Moral
Diplomacy
Despite promises that America would be more
concerned with human rights than with its own
economic or political interests, he intervened in Latin
America and the Caribbean more than either
Roosevelt or Taft
He believed that
American interests
were best served by
supporting
democracy and
introduced the
value of selfdetermination